AI ‘Wild West’ sparks gaming ‘civil conflict’ as knowledgeable points ‘very fearful’ warning
AI has sparked a “civil war” in the gaming industry, as an expert has warned that some developers should be worried “AI slop will eat their lunch.”
Speaking to the Daily Star, Professor Julian Togelius, a computer science expert and Director of the NYU Game Innovation Lab, explained the conflict between devs who were butting heads over the use of the tech.
He said: “The game industry is currently in something like a civil war between AI enthusiasts and AI haters, who think generative AI is theft and a threat to their livelihoods.”
Professor Noah Wardrip-Fruin of the Computational Media department of the University of California has said that the creation of “AI slop” games has only led to more issues in an already flooded market.
Boffins have warned ‘AI slop’ will make an already flooded market even worse
Prof Wardrip-Fruin told the Daily Star: “The market is already flooded with games. AI slop will make this worse. And unfortunately it will make it worse precisely for the kinds of indie developers who already have trouble with ‘discovery’ of their games.”
Prof Togelius said these AI games could impact developers and added that some unlucky devs will be hit harder than others.
The game innovation expert said: “If you make low-effort derivative games, I think you should be very worried about AI slop games eating your lunch. If you are making original, polished, ambitious games, you need not worry.”
He added that AI has not only flooded the market, it has also turned parts of the industry into the “Wild West.”
Professor Noah Wardrip-Fruin from the University of California
“The legal situation around generative AI is kind of Wild West at the moment,” he said.
“We simply lack court cases to determine the legality of much of what goes on at the moment, and it’s going to take years.”
Professor Daniela Romano, of Artificial Intelligence & Games and Director of the Institute of Artificial Intelligence at De Montfort Uni, has broken down the complex legal conundrum AI has sparked.
She told the Star: “Because AI systems can be trained on content created in different countries and distributed globally, questions around copyright, ownership, licensing and liability become increasingly complex.
Julian Togelius is a professor of Computer Science and Engineering
“The legal framework is still evolving, creating uncertainty for both developers and creators who want to use AI responsibly while protecting intellectual property rights.”
Despite the ongoing “civil war” raging between AI fanatics and AI haters, Prof Togelius has said he is excited to see how new tech innovations can change the gaming industry.
Professor Daniela Romano has also spoken out
He said: “I empathize with both sides. But I think the productive thing to do is to focus on the new types of games we could invent.”
Prof Romano believes the boom in AI will benefit both players and developers. She added the tech could cut down on development time and also make more unique and immersive games.
“For developers, the use of AI can reduce development time and allow teams to focus on creativity and the gaming experience rather than repetitive production tasks.
One expert told the Daily Star AI had turned the gaming industry into the ‘Wild West’ due to the complex legal challenges the tech has created
“For players, it can lead to more immersive, engaging, and personalised experiences, where gameplay feels unique and replicability is significantly increased.”
